KARACHI - Sindh Minister for Excise and Taxation, Mukesh Kumar Chawla on Saturday said he has started computerization and automation of various departments under his Ministry at the cost of Rs 150 million and it will be completed in next two years. With this automation, the Ministry will be able to provide more facilities to the tax-payers, to check pilferage/leakage in tax collection by replacing manual tax system with the computerized one. After computerization, the Excise and Taxation departments will be linked to Customs at the ports and other tax collecting facilities so that the taxpayers could deposit Provincial and Federal taxes through one challan.The automation plan was pending for last eight years , the Minister informed during a meeting with members of Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry here at the Chamber. Acting President KCCI Mohammad Ali and Chairman KCCI Sub-committee Professional and Local Taxes, and Allied Matters, Rashiduddin Rashid and other senior KCCI officials welcomed the Minister. The Minister said that property tax collection manual system will end soon. National Bank authorities have been requested to arrange property and motor-vehicle tax collection window facility at its 17 other branches in the province in addition to 13 already working as tax collecting agents. To the request from KCCI leadership to exempt the Chambers Building from property , Mr Chawla said the taxation rules do not permit for such an action. However, he said , KCCI delegation should visit the taxation office for consultation so that some possible remedy can be provided to KCCI. The Provincial Excise and Taxation Minister informed the meeting that in 20 history of the Ministry 30 surplus taxes were collected during last fiscal year. The tax set for 2008-09 was Rs 10.5 Billion and the collection was Rs 14.5b, he said. He said two senior officials from his Ministry will visit to KCCI two days a week for dealing with the tax related matters of the KCCI members. He assured the KCCI leadership that various proposals presented by them will be given due weight and will be tried to include maximum of these in the next provincial budget. Earlier, Acting President KCCI Mohammad Ali said that KCCI Building is a national heritage and is used by KCCI which is a non-profit organization. Such properties/buildings are exempted from property tax.